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Chapter 22

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¹ Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, ² was drawing near,

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and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to put him to death, for they were afraid of the people.

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Then Satan entered into Judas, ³ the one surnamed Iscariot, who was counted among the Twelve,

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and he went to the chief priests and temple guards to discuss a plan for handing him over to them.

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They were pleased and agreed to pay him money.

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He accepted their offer and sought a favorable opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.

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When the day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the day for sacrificing the Passover lamb,

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he sent out Peter and John, instructing them, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

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They asked him, "Where do you want us to make the preparations?"

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And he answered them, "When you go into the city, a man will meet you carrying a jar of water. ⁴ Follow him into the house that he enters

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and say to the master of the house, 'The teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'

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He will show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the preparations there."

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Then they went off and found everything exactly as he had told them, and there they prepared the Passover.

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When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles.

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He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover ⁵ with you before I suffer,

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for, I tell you, I shall not eat it (again) until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

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Then he took a cup, ⁶ gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

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for I tell you (that) from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

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⁷ Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."

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And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

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"And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table;

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for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed."

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And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.

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⁸ Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.

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⁹ He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors';

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but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.

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For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves.

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It is you who have stood by me in my trials;

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and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,

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that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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^{10 11} "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,

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but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers."

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He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you."

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But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me."

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He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing," they replied.

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He said to them, ¹² "But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.

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For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, 'He was counted among the wicked'; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment."

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Then they said, "Lord, look, there are two swords here." But he replied, "It is enough!" ¹³

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Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.

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When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test."

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After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed,

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saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."

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¹⁴ (And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.

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He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)

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When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief.

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He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test."

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While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him.

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Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

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His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?"

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And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

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¹⁵ But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him.

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And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?

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Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness."

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After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance.

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They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them.

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When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him."

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But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him."

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A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not."

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About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean."

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But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed,

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and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; ¹⁶ and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times."

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He went out and began to weep bitterly.

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The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him.

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They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?"

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And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.

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^{17 18} When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.

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They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe,

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and if I question, you will not respond.

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But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

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They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am."

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Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."